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Spike Lee got folks talking earlier this week when he dropped the trailer for his upcoming film, Chi-Raq. The movie, which is an adaptation of the classic Greek play Lysistrata, is set against the backdrop of a spike in gang violence in Chicago.

The trailer garnered a strong response, with many folks not only objecting to the name, which hints that the Windy City is a war zone, but others thought Lee was trying to turn a very serious issue into a comedy.

Apparently, Lee heard the criticism and decided to address it head on. According to the director, while the trailer contains some humorous moments, Chi-Raq isn’t a laughing matter.

“Chi-Raq is not a comedy. Chi-Raq is a satire,” Lee said in a video response. “There’s a difference between humor and comedy.”

“In no way shape or form are we not respectful of the situation that is happening in Chi-Raq,” Lee continued. “In no way shape or form are we making light of the lives that have been murdered with this senseless violence.”

While Lee addressed the uproar about whether or not Chi-Raq is a comedy, he has yet to discuss the problematic portrayal of women in the film’s trailer.